I was talking with a functional nutrition doctor yesterday because I had heard him say that using suma root for women in the morning will help you sleep better. He explained that suma root will help your body normalize blood sugar levels so that you aren't waking up from a spike during the middle of the night. Suma is a large ground vine native to Central and South America; it is most notably from Brazil and often called Brazilian ginseng. My husband takes suma for weight lifting, so I sort of felt like "WFH" when he said I should take it because I do not want to bulk up. But then I saw this article on suma for women - http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/4-benefits-of-suma-root-for-womens-health/

I am wondering if suma would help some of you with those strong carb cravings. This is the liquid I was recommended to use - http://bit.ly/SumaTincture

I know that cortisol spikes blood sugar - and my cortisol spikes at night. I've started drinking a detox tea that is nettle infused at night to help with that. I was taking a cortisol manager supplement but it's like a horse pill. Even cut in half it's gigantic. Another great quality of nettles is their ability to lower SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), which is a globulin that binds into your free testosterone molecules making them “unavailable” to be used by your body. This is important for women with PCOS.

Why you ask?

Polycystic ovaries develop when ovaries are stimulated to produce excessive amounts of male hormones, particularly testosterone. This stimulation is caused by excess LH produced by the anterior pituitary in response to increased gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulsatility, or through high levels of insulin caused by insulin resistance. High insulin levels also suppress hepatic production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) leading to higher levels of free circulating androgens, further adding to the hyperandrogenaemia. Hyperinsulinaemia goes on to cause dyslipidaemia.

So you can use the Organic Detox Tea at night before bed, and again first thing in the morning, or you can use this liquid nettle root and see if helps you. http://bit.ly/LiquidNettleRoot

I keep reading all of these great reviews on this Organic teas online, how the After Dinner Tea helps avoid the bloating. UK VOGUE magazine named this Vitality tea one of the the 10 Best Herbal Teas. The Organic Vitality tea is infused with schisandra to aid in concentration, plus siberian ginseng and rhodiola for an endurance boost and function as antioxidants. For me it's a good daytime tea to help me in the afternoon to have one more support tool to keep my cortisol from spiking at night. Once my cortisol spikes it's very hard to get to sleep and stay to sleep. And we know that sleep is a very essential part of our healthy lifestyle plan.

Can You Get Fit Without Great Nutrition??

I hear it all of the time, "I'm just going to change my diet." But I have to be the first to share that being skinny doesn't always equate to being healthy. Health is a well rounded creature, and the cravings you will continue to have are directly related to that inner health issue.

When I work with a client I have them record their meals, even if they only do it via photo. I need to know what they are eating. They think I just want to make them stop eating all of the things they love, and I admit that sometimes I will do that. But what it all really is about is getting to the core of what is going on functionally inside of that body of yours. We all have more going on than we think when it comes to how we are eating, and how that relates to our hormones. I think that for women that means Estrogen often enough, and so that is going be the first focus as I go into talking about this more in depth over the next month.

Hormones, Nutrition and Fitness

Hormones - we all have them, we joke about them and women hate them. They are an ever present part of our lives and yet we don't really as individuals know very much about them or how they relate to our overall health. When you exercise your body then has some increased energy needs.You need to be able to have the ability for the increase muscular, metabolic, respiratory and cardiovascular demands when you step up to the plate. When you finish you will still have needs for metabolic stimulation, repairing muscles, restoring cortisol levels. Without proper nutrition you body may see an increase in blood pressure, start eating away at the muscles instead of the fat, or even slow the metabolic rate. There are so many hormonal responses you could be having if you are not eating properly while trying to reach your fitness goals, and I want you to start thinking about this hormone connection.

For women there is more to it. Young women after they've had their cycle will be at the lowest level of estrogen in their month. Women closer to menopause may see a spike or bursts in their estrogen levels. Estrogen determines if those carbs you've had or the fats are going to be fuel your body during your HIIT or Turbo cardio session. There are over forty estrogen metabolites and they become good or bad estrogen. It is all depending on where you are at with your hormones really that will determine the type of fitness program you should be looking at, as well as the types of foods to use as part of your wellness lifestyle.

You can't just expect a one solution all of the time to suit your health. That means having a variety of good, healthy meals and snacks around to support your system. There is more to it that I'll go into tomorrow, but just know that working out will lower your estrogen, and for some of you low estrogen may be a problem.

What to eat for hormonal support

If you have a higher level of estrogen in your body then you need to eat your kale, your raw juices, apples, ginger, lemon. You want to boost your gluathione which is a requirement to break down the excess estrogen in your body. You also want prebiotics not just probiotics. I always recommend the PB Assist+ as the supplement of choice. PB Assist+ is a proprietary formula of pre-biotic fiber and six strains of probiotic microorganisms in a unique double-layer vegetable capsule delivering 5 billion CFUs of active probiotic cultures and soluble pre-biotic FOS (fructo- oligosaccharides) that encourages culture adhesion and growth. The time-release double-capsule delivery system protects sensitive probiotic cultures from stomach acid. PB Assist+ supports healthy digestive functions and immunities and is safe for use by all members of your family, including your baby.

Also foods in the Brassica family like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens and cabbage should be considered for someone looking to break down extra estrogen.  And who here doesn't love some cauliflower rice or roasted brussel sprouts?? Or a yummy kale salad or kale chips in the afternoon? The reason why is that indole-3-carbinol is produced by these yummy foods through our bodies and this gets absorbed as DIM (diindolylmethane) in the small intestine. This has been shown to selectively bind to the estrogen receptors in your body. What that means is that these foods will help detoxify the excess estrogen, halt some of the conversions to estrogen into those dangerous metabolites and bring a more balanced hormonal system into play.

Root vegetables are great to help your liver naturally process estrogen. The more estrogen you are dealing with, the more root vegetables you may want to include. Stay away from the bag, sluggish fats that you may want to pile on those because that will slow down your liver and slow down the body natural processes.

Lignans can interfere with the natural production of estrogen, and if your body can't handle the estrogen it's already dealing with, this can be a problem. This is why soy is so bad for those women with PCOS as well. Women with estrogen dominance should stay away from over indulging in nuts. Those that are high in phytoestrogens are sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachio. Also almonds are a little higher, too. Women with major PCOS issues may even want to steer clear of walnuts, hazelnuts and dare I say cashews. Sorry, ladies. If you are low in estrogen then Flax seed and other seeds and nuts should be added to your diet, but don't over do it. You can also add in some soaked legumes, pea protein and make sure if you are lower in estrogen you get plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially in your recovery shake after a hard workout. Vitamin C and complex B vitamins are essential in raising your estrogen levels back up after a workout and keeping headaches, daytime fatigue, dry skin and an inability to focus in on tasks at work.

For women going into menopause with those major bursts of estrogen foods like bok choy, swiss chard and then those soaked and sprouted quinoa and buckwheat items are actually great here. This is where you are going to get those good B vitamins and the fiber your body needs to flush the estrogen out of your body quickly and efficiently. And when you are dealing with those mood swings you need to make sure you are getting enough of those essential fatty acids. You can eat avocados, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, beets to help with some additional vitamin A to support your hormonal swings.

More on fitness.... stay tuned.

Hormone Contributing to the Unhealthy Way You Feel, and what it does to your life.

I started working on hormones a few months ago, about four actually. I can make it through the day now, when I couldn't before. My life has become this weirdness of supplements and creams and timed pills. I'm now to a point where I'm going to push even more to fit in more of the natural changes to get rid of some of the supplements, more nutrition, and more essential oils. It's crazy to think of how far I've come in this. So have hope that you will get better, but it does cycle. Good days, AMAZINGLY good days are often a sign of an upcoming crash. Keep up the work and be hopeful for your health.Let me tell you my opinion (nothing on my website as you've read is a medical diagnostic or claim of a cure. I am not a doctor) just what I've found through this process. 

Here are some insights on hormones that I've read up on: 

Out of whack hormones are the culprit behind so much disease--type 2 diabetes in particular. Some indicators are;

• persistent weight gain
• loss of muscle mass
• low libido
• fatigue 
• anxiety, irritability, depression (omegas/essential fatty acids also reduce bad cholesterol which contribute.)
• insomnia (lavender, slim and sassy to calm adrenals.)
• excessive sweating
• digestive issues (digestive enzymes and probiotics can help)
• food cravings

This was a huge red flag for me before having the five vials of blood drawn and tested. The fatigue for me had gotten so bad that I some nights could not drive home from picking my husband up. I had to have him drive because I was ready to just fall asleep at the wheel. My weight kept going up regardless of the workouts I was doing, and I couldn't sleep through the night. Don't even get me started on the cravings... it's really been a huge change to deal with for someone like me that was always healthy and never dealt with weight before my daughter was born.

I didn't realize I was moving into that place where I was at the hormone inhibitor UNHAPPY zone: Hormone inhibitors are;

• age (I'm 45)
• poor diet (I ate JUNK when I was pregnant and for the first 18 months after in part to trying to conform to Suburban life) 
• oxidation 
• xenoestrogens (fake estrogen caused by pretty much everything bad around us---Phytoestrogen supplement helps eliminate xenoestrogens and it is adaptogenic to balance estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.)
• inflammation (this one is chronic for me)
• stress (Let's see... miscarriage, pregnancy, lay off, move, job change, move... lots of illnesses for my daughter)
• sedentary lifestyle (Went from nothing to something, but for a while it really wasn't enough)
• environmental toxins

High estrogen---even fake xenoestrogens push down your progesterone to be low. I take a pediatric does of progesterone now because I have lots of allergies to the things you can take to support your progesterone. Things that help bring up your progesterone are; whole seeds and nuts, avocado, leafy greens, yams. I'm using some supplementals with both thyme and oregano essential oils in them, and using geranium essential oil which really should be a must have oil for any woman or man dealing with hormone imbalance. In fact I recommend you rub 1-2 drops of the thyme and oregano with a few drops of FCO (fractionated coconut oil) on the bottom of the feet daily. Do not over-use oregano! Use daily for 10 days, and then give your system a rest. I also use just a dab of geranium with my aluminum-free deodorant. In fact Geranium and Cypress are an amazing combination to dab after you've done the deodorant. I use the Kiss My Face Sport. Geranium has this sweet floral smell but also has astringent and antiseptic properties. And the Cypress helps reduce excessive sweating. And if you've moved into the "aluminum-free" you know that sweating can be a problem on those hot days. Enough said. You'll thank me for that tip if not all others.

Some other oils that help with the whole endocrine system are: citrus oils (think lemon oil in the morning), ylang ylang, Roman Chamomile, Serenity, Balance, Elevation, Frankincense, Lavender, Conifer Oils. I use daily for specifically my adrenals Basil and Rosemary. there is also another great blend that is great for those PMS/PMSD symptoms.

Essential Oils for menopause symptoms;

Hot flashes - Peppermint, Geranium, Citrus oils, Clary Sage
Fatigue - Ginger, Peppermint, White Fir
Libido - Ylang Ylang, Ginger, Peppermint,  Clary Sage

Many studies Indicate the benefit of EO's to protect DNA and reverse DNA damage----DDR Prime is a great supplement for that, and as I get into the protocols in the next few months remember this. And also you have to really boost that glutathione level back to where it's supposed to be. Glutathione is truly the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system and to get rid of those xenoestrogens this is your travel agent, Can you see the importance of having enough Glutathione in the system?

Glutathione elevation is aided by;
Undenatured Whey Protein (WAVSmart)
D-limonene (Grapefruit and Wild Orange oils, metabolic oils are a great tool for this)
Exercise - Yoga, Walking, Strength Training and HIITS

These tools and ideas are so related to men as well. Men suffer at the same rates these days as women with hormone imbalances. Hormones are balanced when we have our deficiencies corrected. For women it's usually iron, but for men it's usually zinc. Also for both it's bad diet, obesity, and those darn xenoestrogens. Also for those men that like to drink, alcohol converts testosterone to estrogen which is why men that drink more often get man boobs. If you are vegetarian and add in soy milk... dude you are in trouble! So keep in mind that phytoestrogen is even great for men! A good supplement pack is something I recommend for most men. More so than women they often are getting even less nutrients and minerals during the day. 

So what does a hormone balancing day of meals look like now? 

For Breakfast it's something like collard greens in coconut oil, side of berries and a protein shake with added Maca powder. (capsule dumped in because the air corrupts the maca, so don't buy bags of it.) Lunch is a green salad with either some salmon or other lean protein and added omegas, an apple sliced with some pumpkin or squash puree with cinnamon in it. Then dinner is a sweet potato or other root vegetables, some selenium rich crab and salsa.

This of it like this: 


Follow the 40/30/30. That's where I was actually most successful before in life because I was following the Zone. But the Zone for most people still has too many of the bad carbs, the bad fats and the bad red meats. Think of this like the Paleo Vegeo Balanced version. Keep watching for more protocol information and more info on how this relates to so many other problems we are facing in our current social model of health.